SON, THEY HAVE NO WINE!
Reflections on the Importance of Devotion to Mary
By Rev. John J. Raphael, SSJ
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This knowledge alone should give us pause to reflect on the degree to
which we have allowed Mary to enter our hearts as indeed she entered the
heart of Jesus and all the intimate followers of her son, beginning with
his disciples and evidenced in the lives of all the saints from every time,
race, and culture-"For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name"
(Lk 1:48-49).
This knowledge should motivate us to recapture what we may have lost either
through ignorance or indifference in jettisoning our great Catholic legacy of
devotion to Mary. If our children especially are not introduced to the loving
motherhood and powerful intercession of Mary, what will our parishes and institutions
look like in the future? It should not surprise us that as adults so many youths
raised Catholic leave the Catholic Church for Protestant and Non-Denominational
fellowships when they have not been nurtured and formed in an environment that
was fully Catholic in its doctrinal, sacramental, and devotional life.
We can begin by reclaiming simple practices and by infusing
them with culturally relevant embellishments (images, stories)
when necessary. The rosary in particular, since it is one of the
most beloved and universally practiced devotion to Mary among
Catholics, is a very good place to start. The rosary can be viewed
as the family album of the Holy Family. How often do families pull
out the old albums at gatherings small and great? Always the same
pictures, usually the same stories, but each time they are viewed
and told with renewed vigor because they mark the ties that bind.
An album is one of the few truly irreplaceable things that a family
can lose, but even when the photos are lost the memories remain.
The rosary can be approached by every parish and every family as a
time to re-visit (weekly, daily) the Joys, Lights, Sorrows, and Glories
in the family album of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, which is also the
family album of the Church.
To the frequent protest that it is just repetition of prayers,
one can respond "it all depends!" Have you ever listened to rap?
As painful as that activity is for some of us, one would be surprised
at how many times the same things are repeated ad nauseum in supposedly
different songs-"Raise your hands in the air" if you are with me!
How often do we repeat ourselves with meaning every day? "Good morning!"
"How are you?" "Thank you!" You're welcome!" "I love you!" Can these and
other things be said mindlessly and without feeling or meaning? Yes, but
they can also be said with great feeling and meaning a thousand times a day.
It is how we say something and not simply what we say, or how many times
we say it that makes the difference.
Devotion to Mary, especially the rosary, can once again teach us
how to respond during those times when we run out of wine. There is no
need to panic, no need to fear. Rather we can trust that just as she did
for that family at Cana, Mary has already anticipated our needs and brought
them to Jesus. She continues to charge us to "do whatever he tells [us],"
and we can rest assured that he is already taking care of it according to
his Wisdom. By opening our hearts to Mary through devotion and prayer, we
become far more in touch and in tune with the conversation that Jesus and
his mother are already having about us and we are invited to join with them
in this conversation. This will most assuredly be for our eternal good.
O Mary Conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee and
for all who have not recourse to thee!
All biblical passages were quoted from the
Revised Standard Version, http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/
Fr. Raphael is the principal of St. Augustine High School (Josephite)
in New Orleans, LA.
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